COTTONWOOD COUNTY CITIZEN WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2020 2 N ■ INSIDE EDGE Istrict Court Emember When Speeding:D Cedric O
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RRC sends off THATE’S TREE SERVICE graduates Specializing in large Diploma pick-up, and difficult tree projects! parades highlight RRC commencement event 800-225-8733 n Page 4 www.thatetree.com 137th year Cottonwood County 23rd edition $1.25 windomnews.com Check for updates 8 a.m./noon/5 p.m. and @CitPub on Twitter VISIT US ONLINE AT WWW.WINDOMNEWS.COM WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2020 WHAT’S INSIDE —G WW Graduation 2020 — County rolls out On split vote, new protocols Appointments and face masks part of county’s county board new procedures n Page 2 nOKs A split vote ultimately new reversed hire a previous Uncertain future decision to not replace a part-time employee. for pool, arena By JOEL ALVSTAD Pool management in On a 3-2 vote, Cottonwood County Com- wait-and-see mode, arena ‘YES!’ missioners reversed course on a previous de- making adjustments cision, approving the addition of a part-time n Page 7 employee for the county recorder’s office. At Tuesday’s meeting, County Recorder Kathy Kretsch updated the board on her office’s operations since reopening on an ap- ONLINE POLL pointment basis. “We’ve been booked solid for appoint- Last Week’s Results ments up to 12 days out,” Kretsch said. “A lot of bugs have been worked out and we’re Do you believe national avoiding lines in the courthouse. But we are TV is blowing the helping customers every minute of the day, COVID-19 pandemic either in person, over the phone or online. out of proportion? My staff has been working through breaks, 4 % so I feel like I’m violating personnel policy. o Yes ..................57 “We’ve had staff cancel vacations, but we have other vacation requests. It is impossible % No .................. 43 to run this office shorthanded.” o Commissioner Tom Appel felt that the state’s delaying the requirements for REAL ID should alleviate pressure on the record- Next Week er’s office. How would you grade “We added a full-time staffer because of the handling of the riots REAL ID,” Appel said. “With that deadline in Minneapolis by pushed back, I have to oppose adding more staff.” state and city leaders? But commissioner Donna Gravley ex- pressed concern about an overworked staff. Vote at “I really don’t like the idea of not giving www.windomnews.com people breaks or vacations,” Gravley said. Chair Kevin Stevens asked about the pos- DAVE FJELD 6/3 WWGgrad 96 THERE WAS NO mistaking the excitement Pasyn videographer Duane Hannan captured it all. WWG held sibility of sharing a staff member between DID YOU KNOW? Parker had Sunday afternoon when he picked up his a parking lot graduation for their 21 seniors, attended the recorder’s office and the auditor/treasur- diploma from the table just outside the Westbrook- by just immediate family. er’s office. Kretsch indicated that employees No great Walnut Grove gymnasium. “Yes” he had graduated and are not allowed to work on both passports get-together The COVID-19 SEE COUNTY •BACK PAGE pandemic has prompted WWGWestbrook-Walnut seniors Grove heldhold drive-in graduation outside school the Minnesota State Fair its drive-in, parking lot gradua- to be cancelled in 2020. tion in a semicircle on the south- Since 1859, the east corner of WWG High School Minnesota State Fair has in Westbrook Sunday afternoon. The ceremony — conducted be- only been cancelled six fore only family confined to their Country Pride times. It has been held vehicles — had graduates pick annually every year since up their diploma at a table. After 1946. the graduate turned their tassel, delays C-store Previous reasons for the audience replicated applause by honking their vehicles’ horns. cancelling the state fair After all 21 seniors had salen A discrepancy until in the property 2021 size has are: received their diplomas, gradu- 6/3 WWGgrad 28 caused delays in the transaction. ates and families held parades • 1861: Civil War. HUNNTER BLOCH and every A few big things are starting to disappear in Westbrook, Walnut Grove, other WWG graduate turned at the Country Pride C-store site, but don’t • 1862: Dakota War. Revere and Storden. their tassel after picking up take it as a sign construction on a new Kwik their diploma. • 1893: Conflict with Trip is imminent. World Fair in Chicago. In fact, it appears the prop- erty won’t change hands until • 1945: World War II. the spring of 2021. • 1946: Polio pandemic. Initially, the plan was for Kwik Trip to take posses- sion of the six-acre C-store site — located at the south WEATHER junction of Highways 60 and 71 in Windom this sum- mer. However, the exchange A look Hback L . P was pushed back partly due Kevin Jackson Tues. 67 60 .04 to a discrepancy in the size Wed. 78 59 — of the property (it is actually larger than Thurs. 78 51 — first thought). Lawyers have been involved Fri. 69 51 — 6/3 WWGgrad 118 6/3 WWGgrad 139 and the COVID-19 pandemic caused delays. Sat. 73 56 — CAMRYN BUNTING waved to people along VEHICLES WERE DECORATED to celebrate their graduate’s Country Pride Services Cooperative General Sun. 74 61 tr. commencement, like the family vehicle of Nathan Ross. the WWG parade route in Westbrook. Mon. 95 67 — Manager Kevin Jackson said the sale will still occur as planned, only much later. Because winter is not a good time to remove underground tanks from frozen pharmacy ground, the sale will not occur until early May of 2021. R N E A Tanks moved to Bingham Lake $ 00 Fairn The vote was unanimousboard by the a voteskey factor in IN to DEPTH cancelability to present fairfuture fairs. Meanwhile, some residents may have P 1 his group’s vote “We know this announcement noticed the disappearance of two large am- E OFF N Cottonwood County Fair Board. R O n Riverfest GALL was the recent is upsetting for all who looked monia tanks and two LP tanks in March. All In a move that surprised no decision by the board has forward to the 2020 Cottonwood four tanks were moved to the east edge of ON YOUR FIRST one, the Cottonwood County Fair state fair board no plans County Fair. It is also heart- Bingham Lake. TRANSFERRED AND Board voted 12-0, Monday night FILLED PRESCRIPTION to cancel the to cancel. breaking for the Fair Board as “We were planning to move those tanks *Purchase of a transferred prescription to cancel the 2020 county fair. Minnesota State /Page 2 well.” whether the sale went through or not,” Jack- from a non-Hy-Vee pharmacy is required. As of Monday, that brought Limit one per household. Restrictions Fair. son said recently. “We’d had a concern, if apply. See store for details. Fuel savings the total number of Minnesota Of course there were factors Fixed costs, revenue loss there were ever a release of ammonia, what are limited to 20 gallons of fuel per purchase, per vehicle. Beneficiaries county fair cancellations to 60. related to the COVID-19 pandem- Cancelling a fair is never good it would do with the evacuation of Windom.” of government-funded healthcare There are at least 80 county fairs programs, including but not limited to ic. The board issued this state- from a revenue standpoint. Han- Jackson noted that, given Bingham Lake’s Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE are in the state. ment on Tuesday: son said the Cottonwood County population is 125, evacuation would be not eligible for this offer. Beneficiaries of the Federal Employees Health Benefits “This was not an easy deci- Fair made a few thousand dol- much easier. Plus, he noted that it would Program are eligible, unless transferring Factors in decision a controlled substance prescription. sion however, our priority is the lars last year and often hovers take a wind directly out of the east (which Valid through Tuesday, June 30, 2020 at Mike Hanson, Cottonwood safety and health of our patrons, around the break-even mark. He is unusual) in order to have a big impact on your Windom Hy-Vee store. County Fair board chairman, participants, and volunteers. added that the fair always has Bingham Lake. said the board discussed the With restrictions in place such fixed costs and maintenance. fair’s future at both its March as social distancing and monitor- “We try to stay as close to zero Tires and service to move and April meetings. ing and sanitizing of buildings as possible and not get too far By spring of next year, Mt. Lake will The board had been prepared we felt this was a right choice. behind,” Hanson said. “If you do, become the home base for both tires and ser- to wait until July 1 to make a 7 28028 20721 7 We also had to take into consid- it can get tough to make it up.” decision. However, he added that eration to preserve the financial SEE C-STORE •BACK PAGE n COTTONWOOD COUNTY CITIZEN WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2020 2 n n INSIDE EDGE ISTRICT COURT EMEMBER WHEN Speeding:D Cedric O. 180 days, stay 150 days for R Riverfest to move Naylor, Bloomington, $225; two years, credit for time Presten R. Riddle, Sioux served 3 days, serve as from fairgrounds Falls, $145; Elijah Roman, home detention/electronic Despite the recent deci- Vista, Calif., $145; Colton L. home monitoring, super- sion to cancel the 2020 Spence Vreeman, Sanborn, vised probation for two Cottonwood County Fair Iowa, $265. years, pay for and complete (see page 1) Windom’s Underage consump- chemical use assessment Riverfest will proceed tion: Cole D.P.